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Lifelong Gunner fans

clockwork orange

Blind faith in "LVG filoshophy"
Accidently stumbled on this, thought others might like it too.

Lifelong Gunner fans, together to the end

news16.jpg



FOR more than 80 years, lifelong Arsenal stewards Fred Eggelton and his brother Tom were just about inseparable.
The brothers lived near each other in Queen’s Crescent, both went to Rhyl and Haverstock schools, and worked in the same places, first a chrome-plating
factory and then Mount Pleasant Post Office.
But it was through their love of Arsenal that the two really bonded and together they saw the team more than 2,000 times.
Both volunteered as stewards at Highbury Stadium for more than 50 years and were official historians in the Arsenal Museum.
But match-days will never be the same again for Fred, 83, after the death of Tom on August 15.
Fred, who lives in Bassett Street and works three days a week in the Royal Free Hospital’s shop, said: “Tom went into the Royal Free on the Friday for a routine test. I spoke to him in the hospital and we were supposed to be meeting up the next day to go to the West Brom game.
“He was in good spirits and looking forward to the first game of the season – but then he just keeled over with a heart attack.
“I’m going to miss him – he was a Gunner to the end.”
Fred was taken to his first Arsenal game by his older brother in 1934.
He said: “Tom wanted someone to go with so he took me down. I remember we would get the bus from Camden to Finsbury Park and then walk down to Highbury.
“We would bunk in over the fence in those days – you could never do that now.”
After the war, the two young men became stewards in the stands before progressing to pitch side.
It turned out to be a lifelong vocation that ended with the pair working with the club’s top brass in the executive suite in the old East Stand run by Arsenal director Ken Friar’s daughter, Sue.
Iain Cook, Arsenal’s official historian, said: “When new laws about safety in grounds came into effect in 1993, Tom and Fred became too old to be stewards.
“I had met them in the executive suite and when I was asked to set up the Arsenal Museum in the North Bank I wanted them to come and help me with it.
“They were a real fixture at Arsenal – everyone seemed to know them.
“Tom was a little bit more serious than Fred, but they were both happy to chat to anyone and reminisce about the Arsenal.”
Fred said: “We met so many players – Charlie George, Kenny Sansom, Tony Adams. I remember writing to Tony when he was in prison – to wish him happy
birthday. It was signed by all the stewards. We were in the suite for about eight or nine years but when the North Bank opened in 1993 we went to work in the museum.”
He added: “We were there right up until the end, until the stadium closed – then we moved to the new stadium.
“We were never paid but the club treated us well. They gave us free tickets sitting next to each other after we finished as stewards and Tom and I would go to all the home games.”
Together the pair watched around 2,000 Arsenal games – but a 5-4 thriller against the Busby Babes of Manchester United stands head and shoulders above the rest.
“The stand-out match was when United came to Highbury in 1958. It was the week before the plane crash. As a supporter of a young team, to think of all those
youngsters being killed brings tears to your eyes.
“They were terrific. It was the best game I have ever seen. It was lovely to watch it and I remember leaving with Tom, buzzing with adrenalin. We felt like we’d been playing in the match. That was the be all and end all of football.”
He added: “Tom’s favourite player was Alex James – he was a genius. And then there was David Jack, the captain. The players we’ve got today – Van Persie’s pretty good and this new one Nasri looks real class – but they couldn’t hold a candle to those two.”
Tom’s wife Betty Selmes died in 2000. He is survived by one daughter.

source:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/090408/news090408_16.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/090 ... 08_16.html</a>
 

AnthonyG

Arse Emeritus
Really interesting stuff C.O. Man, the memories and knowledge; makes a fellow antiquarian happy they shared.
 

giuliob

Well-Known Member
There's something about hearing it directly, in their own words, that make it so poignant..
 

tam1886

Established Member
Lovely story. Shame about the old boy's brother.

I love hearing/reading all those stories from the old boys and their experiences. I find it fascinating. Same with those of you who do the 'A view from' threads, although there is something special about hearing the stories of past players and games. I had high hopes for the legend thread in the lobby when it started, as I was hoping we'd get quite a few stories like that but it mainly turned out to be a wikipedia copying contest.
 

TomasCR

Established Member
Great read, he lived for Arsenal. 2,000 Arsenal games, thinking about what he had done for the club, it´s not even possible to have such a love for some team, we all can only envy. Would love to listen his telling.
 

kamikaze80

Established Member
great article. fantastic that the two brothers got to spend so much time together, at the arsenal, no less.

i used to live in a student residence hall about two blocks from mount pleasant post office where that guy apparently worked. this is totally irrelevant, but i remember one of my friends tried to mail a postcard once and for some reason, they mailed it right back to him. as if someone would be so lazy as to mail a postcard two blocks down the street!
 

Clrnc

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Player:Tomiyasu
Superb Story about those 2. Really touching. True fans, very hard to get nowsaday. Seeing as he work for Arsenal just for the love, not getting paid etc was really moving.
 

Josh23

Active Member
clockwork orange said:
Accidently stumbled on this, thought others might like it too.

Lifelong Gunner fans, together to the end

news16.jpg


“The stand-out match was when United came to Highbury in 1958. It was the week before the plane crash. As a supporter of a young team, to think of all those
youngsters being killed brings tears to your eyes.

source:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/090408/news090408_16.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/090 ... 08_16.html</a>

There's the value of actually experiencing something; right there. He made a connection that too many of us miss. How many football fans are guilty of feeling schadenfreude about the Munich crash?

Of any club's supporters, we're the ones tempting fate the most, aren't we?
 

GaelForce22

Established Member
Great find CO, that was a brilliant article. Hopefully we'll be telling stories of 'that' Theo Walcott when we are their age.

Josh23 said:
There's the value of actually experiencing something; right there. He made a connection that too many of us miss. How many football fans are guilty of feeling schadenfreude about the Munich crash?

Of any club's supporters, we're the ones tempting fate the most, aren't we?

I disagree about the Munich air crash. Apart from a few songs from City/Liverpool fans, people in football have only expressed their condolences to United about the incident. And can you explain that last paragraph, I don't really understand what you mean.
 

General

Established Member
^Lets leave it there people.

“Tom’s favourite player was Alex James – he was a genius

Great read and quite a moving story. On Alex James, there was an article in the matchday programme with Newcastle and he was apparently the Hleb of his day with brilliant close control.
 

bigtimetopbanana

Active Member
Great story.

My dad was at the 5-4 game against the Busby Babes.... I still have the program, and the one from the following year, where Man Utd's line-up was much different. Great to hear his stories of the 40's and 50's. He isn't old enough to have watched pre-war though!
 

qs

Established Member
GaelForce22 said:
Great find CO, that was a brilliant article. Hopefully we'll be telling stories of 'that' Theo Walcott when we are their age.

Josh23 said:
There's the value of actually experiencing something; right there. He made a connection that too many of us miss. How many football fans are guilty of feeling schadenfreude about the Munich crash?

Of any club's supporters, we're the ones tempting fate the most, aren't we?

I disagree about the Munich air crash. Apart from a few songs from City/Liverpool fans, people in football have only expressed their condolences to United about the incident. And can you explain that last paragraph, I don't really understand what you mean.

I think he means because we've such a young talented squad like the Busby babes.

Anyway great article. Wouldn't you love to have a few pints with guys like that and just listen to their stories
 

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